1. Field
The present invention relates to communications and, more particularly, to a method and system for transcribing voice content of an on-going teleconference into human-readable notation.
2. Description of Related Art
A conference call or teleconference allows two or more parties from remote locations to participate in a telephone conversation via their subscriber terminals (e.g., their desktop telephones, mobile telephones, computers or handheld computing devices). Accordingly, a teleconference enables the parties to meet without being in face-to-face contact. And for the most part, the cost associated with holding and participating in the teleconference is generally much less than the cost associated with gathering the parties in one location to hold face-to-face meetings, especially as the number of parties increase.
Businesses, as represented by their business people, use teleconferences to communicate and/or discuss a myriad of information for countless purposes. For example, businesses may hold teleconferences with a various number of parties for the purposes of carrying out business matters, reporting their financial status, relaying information to their employees, providing information to their customers and suppliers, and the like. The number of the parties participating in these teleconferences is generally commensurate with the purpose and/or topic of the teleconference.
For example, the number of parties to the teleconference may be quite substantial when reporting the financial status of a business. On the other hand, the number of parties to the teleconference may be only a few when the topic of discussion relates to some aspect of running the day-to-day business.
To carry out a teleconference, the parties first initiate or establish a teleconference, and then carry on a conversation as if carrying on a normal telephone call between two people. When the parties are finished, they hang up as if ending the normal telephone call.
Establishing a teleconference may be carried out in a number of ways. For example, a teleconference may be established by adding a third party to an on-going telephone conversation between a first and a second party. This may be carried out by the first party (i) placing the second party on hold, (ii) calling the third party on a second line, and (iii) then bridging the second and third parties by releasing the second party from hold.
Alternatively, a teleconference may be established by having parties with invitations to the teleconference dial into and connect a conference server using information contained within the invitations. In such case, each party connected to the conference server receives from the conference server voice content provided by any other party. After establishing the teleconference, the parties participate in the now on-going teleconference by speaking voice content into a microphone and/or listening to spoken voice content via a speaker.
In some instances, not all of the parties to the teleconference will have equal rights in participating in the on-going conversation. For example, some of the parties may not be allowed to speak voice content, i.e., the voice content may not be forwarded to the conference participants. Instead, they may be relegated to merely listening the conversation.
Such limitations may depend upon the information being exchanged or the purpose for the teleconference. For example, a teleconference held by a business for communicating information to employees may not allow the employees to interject in the conversation, whereas a teleconference between members of a particular business unit discussing a particular business matter may have equal access in interacting with the other members.
If, after establishing the teleconference, a user of the first subscriber terminal desires to place an outbound call, receive an incoming call, mute the conversation, and/or otherwise suspend the on-going teleconference, then that user may first place the teleconference on hold. To place the teleconference on hold, the user of the first subscriber terminal may depress on the first subscriber terminal a key or sequence of keys on, such as the hold key or a sequence of numbered digits, respectively.
This, in turn, causes the first subscriber terminal to issue a service-event signal, such as a dual-tone multifrequency signal, to the other subscriber terminals, the conference server or other network node between the first subscriber terminal and the conference server. The service-event signal allows causes the first subscriber terminal, other subscriber terminals, the conference server, and/or the network node to place the first subscriber terminal hold, but not let it be dropped from the teleconference.
When desiring to rejoin the teleconference, the user of the first subscriber terminal may again depress a key (e.g., the hold key) on the first subscriber terminal. As before, this causes the first subscriber terminal to issue another service-event signal to the other subscriber terminals or the conference server. Responsive to this second service-event signal, the first subscriber terminal, other subscriber terminals, the conference server, and/or network node releases the first subscriber terminal from hold.
When on hold, the voice content of the on-going teleconference is not transmitted to the user of the first subscriber terminal. As such, the user is free to do other activities, such as having a face-to-face conversation with a person, placing the outbound call and/or receiving the incoming call, without interference from the conversation of the on-going teleconference.
Unfortunately, this presents a conundrum for the user of the first subscriber terminal who may desire to be apprised of the substance of the teleconference while the teleconference is suspended. This is because the user must decide to either participate in the on-going teleconference or the other activities, but not both.
Therefore, the inventors have discovered a need for a system and method that allows the user of a subscriber terminal to be apprised of the substance of an on-going teleconference whenever the teleconference is placed on hold or otherwise suspended. Further, the inventors have discovered a need for a system and method that allows the user of a subscriber terminal to be apprised of the substance of an on-going teleconference while being able to carry out a second communication.